Race Recap (Sorry Long, added CN)

[bostonmichelle]

So I ran my first 10 mile race today. I've run 3 10k's and countless 5k's in the last year, so this was my longest run to date. It was my test run in a sense for my half marathon in 2 weeks to try out all my gear and everything during a race. I've worn all my stuff on long runs but never on a race day. So I signed up for the race a while ago, it opened back in June and they capped it at 600 people so I wanted to get in before it sold out. I never bothered looking up anything about the race other than it existed. During the past week I was talking to melmel48 about the race and she was like oh I wonder if other racer is running that race since its close-ish to where he lives. Nope other racer friend is not doing it and he told her to pass along that the race is super hilly, he said he did it one year and would never do it again. Hence a complete freakout on my part, for some reason I assumed it was flat, why? I have no idea. So I decided to look up the race elevation, poor decision on my part, start complete freakout. Note to self, look up race elevation maps before signing up for races and not the week of the race. I had mentally wanted to do 1:39:xx to be sub-10 min miles and threw that hope out the window last week sometime and figured anything under 1:50 would be good in my book for a hilly course.

So last night I got absolutely nothing ready except eating my carbs and downing a beer. For some reason, I actually slept all night and woke up 10 mins before my alarm and thought I overslept for a minute. Nope, so I got up and got ready for my race and got in the car to head up to NH. DH drove up and we stopped for a pre-run breakfast of a muffin and coffee on the way. We got up there with no traffic, no parking issues, no line for bibs or tshirts. So all of that happened and then I figured I would get in line for the portapotties about a half hour before the start of the race. I'm so glad I went early on, took me almost 20 mins to get thru the line. In line I chatted with some people and again they reminded me it was hilly in the back stretch and the last mile had the biggest hill. I got done and they announced us to line up to get ready. So I said my goodbyes to my DH and got ready with the pack to head off. The whole morning seemed to speed by. While waiting for the race to start, more talk about these dreaded hills. All I could think was what the hell did I sign myself up for? Then we were off.

I started off nice and slow where I wanted to be pace wise. We rounded to the half mile marker and I saw melmel48 and another friend with some lovely signs that they made for me. They said FSU; Race Now, Brunch Later; and Don't Poop Out on Us. So I waived and got all excited and was like alright I can do this. My fellow runners thought they were hilarious and awesome. There was water every 2 miles. There was also a relay swap off at mile 5 and a timer at the 5 mile mark. First 2 miles flew by and were relatively flat, one small hill. Mile 3 came around and I started to feel myself de-energizing (is that a word?), so I walked a bit and had a gu and went off a gain. Mile 5 came around and I was starting to feel tired from the ups and downs of the hills but I just kept going. I looked at the clock and it said 51:xx and I got a little sad I wouldn't make my goal of 1:39:xx. Mile 6 hit the water stop and dumped water on my head, like I had done at the two other water stops, and did at mile 8. My garmin beeped at 6.5 and we were on a hill and I was feeling down and started wondering if I'd finish, so I decided to walk and take another gu. I was having some serious I don't know if I can finish this thoughts, then I saw an awesome downhill coming up. So I flew down the downhill, did not stumble and do a somersault and reached the 7 mile marker while yelling to my fellow runners that we had less than a 5k and we could do it. So I picked up the pace on the downhills and did the best on the uphills. Then we got to mile 8.5 or so, some other runner had her friend and her friend's daughter there waiting for them and she ran over to give them hugs and then came back to the pack. We chatted a bit about this dreaded hill that was coming up, up to this point there had been hills but nothing terrible I don't have in my normal runs. So I see a hill coming up and I was like is this the big hill? She said she thinks so but didn't know. I basically started laughing to myself because it was seriously nothing worse than the other ones. So I got to the top and we hit the 9 mile marker sign. I looked at my garmin and saw 1:30:xx and that got my butt reenergized. All of a sudden my goal of 1:39:xx was within reach. So I tore up the last mile and saw the clock come in to view and it said 1:39:xx. melmel48 was screaming my name apparently, I didn't hear her. I did actually hear the announcer guy for once say my name. My other friends and my DH were there as well. I came in and was like omg I did it, I did sub 1:40. I went and got my chipped time from the timing company and there it was 1:39:xx. We hung around and I got my beer mug, no finisher's medal, instead we got a finisher's beer mug. Then all of us went and had brunch and I napped in the car ride home.

Takeaway from the race. I learned to better fuel, got to test out everything that I had for my upcoming half gear wise, and was able to get out of my mental funk partway thru. As I told one guy before the race, if anyone told me last summer I'd be doing a 10 mile run this weekend, I would have laughed in their face and called them crazy. I'm so glad I did this race, it was well organized and a great pre-1st half marathon race to get me psyched. I left the race texting my sister that I was doing the race again next year and she was joining me.

CN: Ran my 1st 10 mile race. Was told less than a week a go that it was super hilly, almost psyched myself out. Nailed my time goal that I had before finding out it was super hilly (1:39:xx). melmel48 came with some of my other friends and made amazing signs that she said she would pip here. Got a beer mug as a finisher's medal. Doing the race again next year.

[melmel48]

I don't know how to add pictures!!!  How can I add the pics of the signs?!

Anywho... you did fantastic and I am SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!  Yes, that deserved all caps! 

I am seriously trying to talk "other racer" into doing the relay with me next year, but it's not working so far.    

I will see you in the morning for our long run!  <)  

[Susie]

Wow great job! Beer vessels are my fav finisher swag/awards!

[bostonmichelle]

Here are melmel48's pictures of the signs!

[gt7301b]

Great job!!!!

[sassystace]

Great job! Nice mug too!

[jamalynn]

Love the mug. Great job!

[runaways]

Congrats! Your half is going to go so well!

[sweetiesparkles]

Wow, michelle, great job! Awesome run!

[libbygrl109]

Great job! You're going to kill your half!

[shelbyann]

Great job! Congrats!

[sadlebred]

Great job! Awesome beer mug!

[labbie]

Excellent work! And I'll take a beer mug over a medal any day!

Sent from my XT1080 using proboards

[fluffycookie]

Great job!

[runblondie26]

Nicely done! Congrats!

[thom]

Awesome job!! That's great that you met your goal in spite of the unexpected hilly course! Sounds like great prep for your 1/2 coming up too. Congrats.

[G22]

Great job! Congrats!

[melmel48]

Aug 31, 2014 10:53:57 GMT -5 lori19 said:

You did awesome, Michelle!  I knew you would kill it!  And to top it off, going for another 7 miles today.  I'd be too lazy.  

Considering I was at 7.6 at the same time she did 10.....